The present invention relates generally to a shock absorber assembly for an automotive vehicle suspension. More particularly, the invention relates to a structure for mounting a suspension coil spring in a shock absorber assembly, which ensures a smooth ride by preventing transmission of road shocks.
In a strut-type vehicle suspension, a suspension coil spring is interpositioned between a lower spring seat secured to a shock absorber and an upper spring seat secured to a shock absorber piston rod, which is, in turn, secured to a vehicle body via a mounting insulator, for providing a resilient damping force as a shock absorber assembly. In the conventional shock absorber assembly, the ends of the suspension coil spring rigidly contact the spring seats directly or via relatively hard or rigid rubber seats. As a result, the suspension coil spring may resonate at a specific frequency of vehicle vibration or road shock to cause a surging phenomenon. This surging phenomenon unevenly stresses the suspension coil spring to degrade driving comfort and to transmit road shocks, thereby increasing the noise level in the vehicle compartment because of increased vehicle body vibration.
The present invention is intended to prevent the shock absorber assembly from exhibiting this surging phenomenon and thus to prevent transmission of road shocks. The invention is also intended to maintain the noise level in the vehicle compartment at a level lower than that experienced with conventional shock absorber assemblies.